BACKGROUND

Tropical ever-wet forests contain some of the world’s last remaining wilderness areas with extremely high biodiversity. In such regions, the diversity of many groups, including birds, mammals, reptiles, and vascular plants, is extremely high. However, these areas also face a diverse array of threats. Within northwestern Amazonia, Yasuni National Park (YNP) stands out as one of the best-studied examples of of ever-wet lowland rain forest, both for its rank as one of the most biodiverse regions of the world, as well as a site that exemplifies the conflicting pressures of oil exploration, social and economic development, interests of several indigenous communities, and biological conservation. The political, social, and biological choices that are made for these regions offer insights into the trade-offs and futures of many other protected and unprotected wilderness areas.

SCOPE

The symposium will cover research carried out within hyperdiverse ever-wet tropical forests on various taxonomic groups (trees, herbs, primates, insects, mammals, birds), levels of organisation (genes, populations, species, community, ecosystem), and spatial and temporal variation (micro, meso, and regional).

GOALS

To celebrate and summarise the research carried out in hyperdiverse ever-wet tropical forests, such as Yasuni National Park. To develop research priorities for the biology and conservation of these regions.

OBJECTIVES

Review and summarise research from  hyperdiverse ever-wet tropical forests. Provide research priorities for biological and conservation research.

IMPORTANCE AND POTENTIAL INTEREST TO ATBC ATTENDEES

Lowland ever-wet tropical forests are one of the most hyperdiverse areas of the world, with global attention because of other human activities, including several indigenous communities (and two indigenous communities that live in voluntary isolation), as well as oil exploration and exploitation.